Signs It's Time to Redefine Your Role as a Business Owner or Leader

Running a business is thrilling. It’s also a little like running a marathon while building the road at the same time, blindfolded, while your team asks you what’s for lunch. 

At some point, no matter how scrappy or hands-on you started, your role has to evolve. Otherwise, you become the bottleneck, the burnout case, or the leader Googling “business exit strategies that don’t involve moving to a remote island.” 

One of the first red flags? You’re still doing everything yourself (and wearing it like a badge of honour). In the early days, it made sense. You were the HR department, the IT helpdesk, and the coffee runner. But if you’re still holding onto every task now, it’s not resourcefulness, it’s resistance to growth.  Leadership isn’t about how much you can carry, it’s about building something that can stand without you doing all the heavy lifting. 

Another sign? Every tiny decision somehow ends up back on your plate. New stapler? You. Approve the staff potluck menu? You. Choose the font on the new poster? Also you. When your team needs a permission slip for every move they make, you’re not leading, you’re being the human speed bump. Businesses that scale have leaders who trust and build up their team not leaders who micromanage themselves into oblivion. 

Maybe you’ve also noticed that your day-to-day feels like a never-ending to-do list. You're stuck in the business, managing tasks, instead of leading the business toward something bigger. Growth gets stifled when the leader is drowning in the weeds. If you’re exhausted but nothing seems to actually be moving forward, it's time to pull yourself out of the daily grind and step into a higher-level role. 

And if you’re feeling that itch, the pull toward new ideas, bigger visions, different challenges but have absolutely no space to act on it? That’s your sign. When you’re spending all your time fighting fires, there’s no oxygen left for innovation. Vision needs breathing room. And right now, it’s gasping. 

The bottom line? You didn’t build this business to babysit it forever. Redefining your role isn’t about abandoning the hard work, it’s about focusing on the right work. The work only you can do. 

Give yourself permission to step into your next chapter. Your future team, your business, and your future self will thank you for it. 

At Amy Oliver + Co we have the resources and tools to help you refocus, and would love the opportunity to show you how we can help! Check out our website or book a call with Holly to learn more.

Do you want to be the first to discover our latest workshops and get exclusive access to free tools and resources.? Join our insiders list!